Former Pak army commando arrested in terror plot

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani law enforcement agencies today arrested a former army commando on charges of masterminding a terrorist plot to attack the parliament, according to a media report.

Saadullah, a former member of the Special Services Group, an elite commando unit of the Pakistan Army, was arrested at Okara in Punjab province, Express News channel quoted its sources as saying.

There was no word on the development from law enforcement agencies or the military.

The plot to attack parliament and other key government buildings in Islamabad's "Red Zone", a heavily guarded area in the heart of the federal capital, was foiled by law enforcement agencies earlier this month.

Police in Islamabad arrested four suspects and seized suicide jackets, grenades and rockets.

Saadullah was arrested on the basis of information provided by these suspects, the TV channel reported.

The terrorists had planned to fire rockets at parliament and other government buildings from a forested area overlooking Islamabad.

They also planned to storm the parliament with suicide bombers, according to earlier media reports.

Several armed forces personnel have been arrested across Pakistan in the past few years on charges of involvement in terrorist plots, including two attempts on the life of former President Pervez Musharraf.